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J. JOHNSON.

PEANUT CLEANER. No. 311,495. Patented Feb. 3, 1885.

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J. JOHNSON.

PEANUT CLEANER.

No. 311,495. Patented Feb. 3, 1885.

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Their-en States Parent Orrrea.

JOSEE JOHNSON, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND HOLLOXVAY I. EMBURY, OF SAME PLACE.

PEANUT-CLEANER.

ET'ECIFICATIOZJ forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,495, dated February 3, 1885.

Application filed April15, 1884. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Josue JOHNSOX, of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Peanut-Cleaners; and I. do hereby declare that the following is afull,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to machines for clean ing, separating, and grading peanuts; and it has for its objects to provide a machine which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efficiency.

To this end it consists in the improved construction and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved peanut-cleaner. Fig. 2 is cross-section taken on the line min Fig.1. Fig. 3is adetail view of one of the separating-partitions. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the adjustable partitions strad dling the bottom of the casing; and Fig. 5 is a side view ofthe machine,showing the picki ng table.

The same letters refer to the same parts in the several figures.

Ain the drawings refers to the box or casing. which is preferably of a rectangular shape and provided with a bottom, B, which is made to slant or incline to both sides ofthe casing, where doors 0 are provided that do not extend entirely to the edges of the said inclined sides, but leave narrow slits or openings D for the escape of the nuts, as will be hereinafter more fully stated.

Arranged at the front end of the casing A is the fan-case E, the sides of which are provided with slides F for the purpose of regulating the admission of air. The fan-case is constructed with an opening, G,in rear ofwhich an inclined deflector, H, is placed, and said opening may be closed by means of a flexible slide, I, constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material, and for the accommodation of which a passage, J, is provided in the upper and rear part of the fan-case. The frontside ofthe said fan case is constructed with a supplementary passage, K, taking air through an opening, L, from the interior of the casing and terminatingin a' blast-opening, M, a short distance below the opening G and deflector H. Aflexilole slide, N. of sheet metal or other suitable material, is provided, whereby the opening L may be partly or entirely closed, and by which the force of the blast through the supplementary passage K may be regulated. The regulating-slides are ofcourse conveniently accessible to an operator stationed in front of the machine. The hopper O is provided on one side with a slide-valve, P, for regulating the feed, and in the throat of this hopper is a corrugated feed-roller, which may receive rotation from the fan-shaft by means of pulleys and a belt.

S is an inclined partition.arranged longitudinally in the casing and extending from thefancase to the rear end of the main casing,as shown in the drawings. This partition, which may be arranged to slant to either side ofthe main casing, is arranged above the blast-openingM and diagonally across the deflector H, so that nuts blown otfthelatter will be thrown upon the said partition S, while the heaviest and best of the nuts will drop upon the bottom of the casin The partition S is provided at its lower edge with a series of escapeopenings, T T, between which partitions U are arranged. The upper edges of these partitions may beprovided with hinged gatesV, for the purpose of regulating and modifying the blast, and hence intercepting the various grades of nuts as they are blown through the box or casing.

The sides of the boXor casing are provided with hinged picking-tables WV WV, adjustable by means of rods, cords w, or in any suitable manner, so as to be set at any desired inclination, and provided with flanged openings X, through which the refuse may be thrown.

Arranged upon the double slanting or inverted-V-shaped bottom of the casing A is a partition, Y, consisting of a saddle, Z, straddling the said bottom, and to which is attached a board, A, having a horizontal upper edge and terminating some distance below the fancase. This partition is capable of being adjusted longitudinally to any desired extent. The top of the casing A has a longitudinallysliding cover, 0, which, when closed, leaves a narrow opening or slit at the rear end of t box for the escape of the blast and of such particles of dust as may be removed from the nuts by the blast.

Benches D are arranged under the pickingtables in the manner and for the purpose set forth and claimed in my application for Letters Patent for improvements in peanut-cleaners of even date with the present application, Serial No. 127,974.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood. The peanuts passing from the hopper drop upon the inclined wind-board or deflector in rear of the fan-case. At this point they encounter the first blast coming through the opening G, by which the light and otherwise defective nuts are blown over the deflector and into the upper part of the casing above the floor or partition S, where in passing through the machine they successively encounter the several partitions, U U, by which the several grades of nuts are intercepted and deflected through the escape-openin gs T. The bestand heaviest nuts,which are not blown over the wind-board or deflectors, will be dumped from the latter upon the inverted-V-shaped bottom of the machine,encountering in the passage the second blast coming through the opening M of the fan-case. The heaviest and most superior nuts will thus be dropped in front of the partition Y, and those that are somewhatlighter in rear of the said part-itions,which latter may be moved or adjusted so as to grade or separate the product in any desired manner. The nuts, having thus been separated, pass to the pickingtables, where attendants are stationed for the purpose of removing the black and rotten nuts, which are thrown through the openings in the picking-tables, and thence conveyed to some suitable receptacle or place of deposit.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a peanut-cleaner, the combination,with a box or casing, of a fan, a fan-case having a blast-opening, G, and apassage, J, an inclined deflector arranged in rear of the same, and an adjustable slide, I, arranged in said passage, substantially as described.

2. In a peanut-cleaner,the combination, with the box or casing and the hopper, of the fan, a fan-case having blast-openings directed beneat'h the discharge from the hopper, the flexible slides, and the deflector H, substantially as described.

3. In apeanut-cleaner, the combination,with a casing having a V-shaped bottom, and a fan case having separate and independent blastopenings, one of said openings, L M, communieating with said V-shaped bottom, of an inclined deflector, and a longitudinal inclined partition, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a peanut-cleaner, of a casing having a V-shaped bottom, a fan-case having separate and independent blast-openings, one ofsaid openings,L M, communicating with said V-shap'ed bottom, an inclined deflector, an inclined longitudinal partition, and a series of transverse partitions, substantially as set forth.

5. In a peanut-cleaner, the combination of a box or casing having an inverted-V-shaped bottom, a fan-case having two separate and independent blast-openings, an inclined deflector, an inclined longitudinal partition having escape-openings at its lower edge, and a partition straddling andlongitudinally adj ustable upon the inverted-V-shaped bottom of the casing, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J OSEE JOHNSON. Witnesses:

F. O. DIOCLEARY, IV. R. KEYWORTH. 

